Quote 55
Nenny says she won't wait her whole life for a husband to come and get her […] Nenny has pretty eyes and it's easy to talk that way if you are pretty. (35.2)
Esperanza perceives beauty to be a source of power for women. Because Nenny is pretty, Esperanza thinks that her life will be easier.
Quote 56
In the movies there is always one with red red lips who is beautiful and cruel. She is the one who drives the men crazy and laughs them all away. Her power is her own. She will not give it away. (35.4)
Esperanza thinks that the ultimate feminine power is to be drop-dead gorgeous but refuse to give in to the demands and attentions of men.
Quote 57
In the meantime they'll just have to move a little farther north from Mango Street, a little farther away every time people like us keep moving in. (5.4)
When Esperanza says "people like us," we suspect she's referring to her ethnic background. Cathy represents the segment of society that associates Latinos with bad neighborhoods.